Pediatric Dentistry: Tooth Fairy Traditions Around the World

Did you know that there are many different tooth fairies and tooth traditions around the world? Well, it’s true, and they’re all very different from the traditions we have in the United States!

In Argentina
Argentinean children wait for a reward from a small mouse named Raton Perez once they lose a baby tooth. Right before they go to bed, the children put their tooth in a glass of water on their nightstand. As they sleep, Perez visits them, drinks the water (because he is extremely thirsty from all of his tooth-collecting duties), and replaces the tooth with a small gift.

In Mongolia
There isn’t a Tooth Fairy in Mongolia, but the Mongolian people do have a tradition that helps them grow into a strong, successful smile. After they have lost a tooth, they wrap it in a small piece of fat or a piece of meat and they feed it to a dog. They believe that this gesture helps them have strong teeth in the future, just like dogs do. If there isn’t a dog around to feed, they usually bury their tooth near a tree in hopes that their future tooth will have strong roots.

In France
Instead of a Tooth Fairy, France has a kind mouse named La Bonne Petite Souris who rewards children for their lost teeth. When a child loses their tooth, they place it under their pillow for Petite Souris. As they sleep, the mouse arrives and replaces the tooth with either candy or money. When the child wakes up, they are surprised with the mouse’s gift.

In Turkey
Turkey doesn’t have a Tooth Fairy, but it does have a tooth tradition that helps children grow up to be the people their parents want them to be. When a child loses a tooth, their parents bury the tooth in the grounds where they wish their child will be one day. For example, if the parents want the child to be a doctor, they will bury the tooth in the gardens of a doctor’s office or by a medical school. If they want their child to be a great soccer player, they will bury the tooth in the soccer field.

In El Salvador
Just like the children in the United States, the children in El Salvador place their teeth under their pillow in exchange for money. But, instead of having a Tooth Fairy, El Salvador has a Tooth Rabbit that visits the children as they sleep.